


The Light of Ice and Fire

by Sanjuno



Series: Crossover Fixits To Help Westros Be Less Miserably Doomed [5]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Evil Demon Plague is great practice for Evil Zombie King, F/F, F/M, Heroes of the War for the Dawn reincarnated into Westros Houses, M/M, Metafiction, Post Final Ardyn Battle, Pre-A Game of Thrones, Thank the Astrals they all have the chance to play the Alternate Ending, This is a fixit for both series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-04-14 06:49:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14130444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sanjuno/pseuds/Sanjuno
Summary: What would change about the Song if the Chocobros and the Royal Guards were reincarnated into the world of Westros?





	The Light of Ice and Fire

**Author's Note:**

> This first went up on my tumblr, and I have since edited it and clarified a few points. Feel free to ask questions at the end.

=/=

Jorah Mormont is a Northman through and through. With an honour code you could hammer a sword out of, a deadpan sense of humour, and a glower that could make a bull back up. His father’s pride and joy, Jorah wields a sword like he was born with one in his hand. All of Bear Island watches the Heir with pride. One day Jorah will be their Lord, and he will rule them well. He follows the Old Way, and the Old Gods, and he treats highborn and low with the same solemn gravitas. It humbles and inspires the people of Bear Island, and they work all the harder to live up to the Heir’s example. The fortifications build up, the levy forces grow strong, and trade increases. Jorah quietly lets it be known that any women wanting arms training are welcome, and Maege Mormont loves her nephew all the more for the fact that Jorah makes no distinction between their worth as warriors based on gender or circumstances of birth. Jorah calls them the Northguard, and no matter the rank everyone starts from the bottom. A little competition is good for them all, and the challenge makes the people of Bear Island raise themselves up.

Cor Leonis wakes up after a long, exhausting life that had stretched on far too long. He had outlived three Kings, his almost-lover, most of his friends and family. Dying at last had been a relief. Only the Astrals had plucked his soul up out of the mists and said that they had another job for him. Cor was tired though, and he wanted to rest. But he would be rewarded this time, should he accept this task to battle the Night once more, and he would see the Prince Who Was Promised live again. Exhausted, but not exhausted enough to put aside his oaths, Cor agrees, and the Immortal breathes.

Dacey Mormont is a terrifying opponent, and has ways of remaining informed about everything that happens in Bear Island. Dacey is at the forefront of Jorah’s changes to how Bear Island is run, and quickly becomes her Lord cousin’s trusted steward. No one objects when Jorah leaves her in charge of Bear Island when the North marches to war.

Monica Elshett had never expected the Astrals to take a personal interest in her, no matter how loyally she had served the royal family of Lucis. Being told that the Marshall would need her help spurred her to accept the duty to fight the Night again. She’d spent her life protecting the Light, she wasn’t going to let something like death and rebirth slow her down. First thing though, was that this strange idea that only men could fight had to go.

Ethan Glover is Brandon Stark’s squire, a quick-witted boy who favors duel shortswords and throwing knives over the more traditional longsword. For all his japes he offers council wise beyond his years, and successfully manages to curb the worst of Brandon Stark’s excessive carousing where even the Lord Stark himself failed. Ethan had a habit of loudly and explicitly detailing his thoughts and opinions in the most cheerful voice possible while Brandon was hung over. The Stark Heir cut back on women and wine even if only to avoid the headache and the inescapable lecture from his squire. Despite all Ethan’s efforts, there’s no stopping the Mad King’s execution of the Starks. Ethan staggers home with the Mad King’s message, carrying the horror of what he has witnessed with him, and sharing it all with the Kingdom of the North. The North remembers. Thorren Stark bent the knee to save his people from Dragonfire. The Mad King has violated the terms of their agreement, and the North answers with one voice when the Stark in Winterfell calls the Banner to arms.

Nyx Ulric dies burning, and the Draconian catches him up, thanks him for his loyal service. The Dawn came at last, and Nyx thanked Bahamut for letting him see it. To know that the sacrifice Nyx had made was not in vain. The Astrals say they have another task for him, that there is another world where the Darkness seeks to rule. There is a world where Nyx can live again, where he can find peace. A reward for his service, a second chance to make things right. Nyx agrees, of course he agrees, and the Hero of the Kingsglaive breathes.

Jorah Mormont and Ethan Glover meet for the first time in a council of war, and all who witnessed it agree that it was a small thing. Easily overlooked, but something Jorah said made Ethan speak up. And something about how Ethan spoke made Jorah respond. From that point on their alliance was sealed, and the Northern Forces under Jorah Mormont’s command came to expect to see Ethan at his right hand, and they smashed through the Royalist forces with victory after victory.

Cor meets Nyx again while arguing tactics in a command tent, and the Kingsglaive’s familiar grin is bright and inviting him to share the joke. Once again, they are going to war to free their Kingdom from a mad emperor. Once again, their rightful King was slain by treachery. Now they go to seek justice, and the freedom of their people. This war needs to be won if they plan to fight back the Night and bring the Dawn once again. They battle, and it’s so much easier to win against men who are only human, who are fighting for a cause they do not truly believe in. Remembering Drautos’ betrayal was painful, but they took the lesson to heart, and slowly the message spread. Any man who lay down his arms would be allowed to leave, and the forces of the Mad King trickled away as men disgusted by the excesses of the Targaryens left King Murderer and Prince Rapist to their fates.

Jorah Mormont says nothing when he joins Eddard Stark on his journey to Dorne. Ned accepts the Lord of Bear Island into the company without a word. It was expected given Ned had requested Ethan come along to see things through to the end. The next verse of the song is rewritten abruptly when the Northmen meet the Kingsguard in combat at the foot of the Tower of Joy. Dawn rings against Ice and Arthur Dayne only has a moment to be startled by the skill of House Stark’s second son turned Lord before the wisdom of the Northmen’s distain for tourneys shines bright. The Northmen don’t fight like Southern Knights. They don’t close quarters, don’t let the Kingsguard control the fight. Instead they harass and harry the white-clad knights like a pack of wolves, darting in and out in turns. Oswell Whent goes down with a knife in his eye, Gerold Hightower is taken out when the endless shifting tactics of the Northmen overwhelm his ability to track them and Longclaw sinks into his left armpit, and Arthur Dayne himself gets a crannogman’s spear to the back of his knees and Ice takes off his head when he stumbles.

The Northmen have all survived, and so the knowledge of Jon’s parentage is a bit more widespread. They return Arthur’s bones to Starfall, along with the other two Kingsguard. Cor is low-key offended that they dared to call themselves Kingsguard when their so-called King was unworthy of it. Nyx half-jokingly offers to make Cor an honorary Kingsglaive if it’ll make him feel better. Marshall of the Kingsglaive sounds a bit silly, Cor responds, he’ll stick with Crownsguard. Less sexist. No sillier than being The Immortal, Nyx jests. The Northmen remain otherwise subdued in their relief out of respect for Lady Ashara Dayne and her obvious pain. None of them are surprised when they hear that she kills herself after they leave.

At Ethan’s insistence, Ned claims that Jon is Brandon’s son. Much like in the first version of the song, there are rumours about the identity of the boy’s mother. Because Ethan is there to support the claim that Jon is Brandon’s seed, there’s less stress over someone questioning the identity of the mother. Everyone involved just follows Ethan’s lead in saying she was dead and that they would appreciate if everyone stopped slandering the Lady’s name. Jon still gets raised at Winterfell, and Catelyn still resents bastards like before, but Jon’s not the only Stark bastard running around the North. He’s just the only one without a mother still living. It makes Catelyn appreciate being married to Ned more, and so she’s less difficult to deal with regarding her own children than in canon. So Arya doesn’t have to fight for arms training, and Sansa is required to learn how to defend herself from unwanted male attentions. Jorah Mormont is very insistent on this point and even sends his Aunt Maege to Winterfell as the Stark girl’s tutor for this purpose. Catelyn gets over it eventually.

Viserys Targaryen is an angry boy, that much everyone can agree on. Not mad the way his father and other notable ancestors had been, but full of a thwarted fire. The number of times the Kingsguard had to pull the younger prince away from his mother’s bedchambers when the King was visiting his wife was daunting to consider. The threats of dire retribution were rather more chilling, even coming from a toddler. Not only because the boy was oddly well spoken, but also because Viserys was not going to remain a harmless child forever.

Ravus Nox Fleuret did not like his new life. The Glacian had said he had a debt to pay, and that he would be needed to protect his sister so that she could fulfill her destiny against the Dark once again. Ravus did not think having to listen to his new mother get raped by her brother was an entirely fair punishment. For one, Rhaella was the one suffering the most and this was supposed to be Ravus’ punishment. For another, Ravus had already spent one lifetime pretending to serve a mad emperor in order to protect his people and he didn’t really have the patience to do so a second time. The fact that Aerys seemed to approve of Ravus’ attitude was just salt in the wound.

Daenerys Targaryen is born during a mighty storm, the wind and the waves are the only thing keeping the ships carrying the Baratheon forces away from Dragonstone. Her mother names her, passes her over to her older brother, and then bids them run. Run far, run fast, and live. They need to live.

Lunafreya Nox Fleuret breathes again with the Fulgurian shielding her from harm, and the Hydraean carrying her away. Both promise she will be safe, that she will escape those who seek her death and she will grow into the power that will save the Prince Who Was Promised once again. Luna clings to her brother’s hair and weeps, because her mother is gone. Luna clings to her brother with newborn hands as Ravus whispers love and devotion and apologies into her hair and rejoices, because she has the older brother she has missed so much for so long back. By the blessings of the Astrals they are together again, and they have a second chance to get things right.

When Ser Willam Darry betroths Viserys to Arianne Martell the young prince is deemed capable of understanding the need, and so is informed of the contact. Viserys isn’t impressed by their scheming, and is instead rather more occupied with caring for his little sister. He cares little for the Iron Throne, and says that the are greater worries to concern himself with. It’s put down to boy’s obsession with the Princess’ safety, and Willam hopes that the boy doesn’t plan on continuing the Targaryen legacy in that way. Further speech with Viserys eases that worry, and Willam instead starts to hope that Viserys will be a good King when the time comes.

Ravus understands political marriages from two lifetimes as a Prince, but his father was a madman and Ravus will be content with ruling Dorne by the side of his future wife when the time comes. Luna can marry the True King and take over the Empire when the brat shows up again. They’re going to need to defeat the forces of Darkness before anything else will matter, after all. If their first life is any indication, Ravus will barely be an adult when the War for the Dawn begins. Hopefully it won’t take ten years this time.

Viserys Targaryen learns the sword from Ser Willam Darry, and displays a firm strength of character that endears him to both the four men at arms from Dragonstone, and the servants hired by the Sealord of Braavos to serve the exiled Prince. When Ser Willam grows ill and dies, Viserys manages to retain control of his household, small as it is. Daenerys grows up in a house with a red door, and there is a lemon tree growing in the back garden. Viserys begins to earn a reputation settling disputes, devouring books of law and only occasionally resorting to bashing people over the heads with his sword. Soon the Targaryen’s are being invited from city to city on the behest of powerful citizens who want a neutral voice to settle a dispute when they can’t be seen to favour either side. Eventually that matures into settling disputes between said powerful citizens themselves, and the Free Cities chatter about the Lawful King in Exile.

Luna is laughing hysterically at her brother. Poor Ravus had never been in line to inherit, since the Nox Fleuret were matriarchal, so the expectation of the people that Ravus would want to be King on the Iron Throne escaped him for the longest time. Ravus was just doing what he had been trained all his life to do, keep things running smoothly. The poor man was nearing twenty by the time he finally realized what impression he was giving with his networking in the Free Cities. Ravus promptly went to Luna and started whining about people being stupid and how much longer until her stupid Prince made his move? Luna just laughed at her brother more and then told him to accept the next offer from Pentos, and to let Illyrio Moptas feast them when they went there. The Magister had something the Draconian wanted them to get a hold of.

The grins Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen share over the three petrified dragon eggs that the Magister of Pentos offers as payment for the Lawbringer’s services are deeply, deeply unsettling. Illyrio can only be glad that they leave his city without enacting a second Summerhall.

Dragging her brother deep into the desert, Luna asks for a knife and the biggest fire they can make. Cuts to the top of their forearms bleed freely onto the eggs, and Ravus stands with his sister in the bloody wreckage of a slaver camp as the flames climb up high around them. A girl from the pleasure houses of Lys watches with awe as the fire rages and the figures within remain standing. She is not the only one to remain close enough to watch, but she is the closest, and she’s the one who rushes forward with two cloaks when the siblings emerge naked from the ashes carrying their newborn dragons. Ravus and Luna gather the new members of their household and take them back to Pentos. The time to fight for the Dawn was coming closer.

Gerold Dayne is still a small child when his cousin dies fighting the Northmen who had come to Dorne to retrieve the kidnapped Lyanna Stark. As Gerold grows the stories of his strength spread. So do the tales of his fierce glower, and the coldness in his eyes. Still, despite his fierceness Gerold grows into an honourable man. A better one than Arthur Dayne had proven himself to be, allowing his Prince to kidnap and rape an already betrothed noblewoman. Gerold doesn’t envy his cousin the reputation the man earned. Arthur proved unworthy of Dawn, and that was why the blade failed him. Gerold hires an artist skilled with inks when he becomes the Lord of High Hermitage and the bird tattoo that takes up all the skin from nape to knee becomes the talk of Dorne. No one is overly surprised when Gerold inherits Dawn, and the smile on the fierce Dayne’s face when he grips the sword is sharp enough to cut on it’s own.

Gladiolus Amicitia was born to be the Shield of the chosen King. He was born with a duty that he would never be able to fulfill. To save the world, and all the life on it, Gladio’s king was going to die. No matter the prophecy, no matter the words given by Gilgamesh, what use was a Shield that was destined to fail? What purpose did he have? When the Astrals told him that he could live again, that he could find Noct again and keep his Chosen King safe as a true Shield should, Gladio didn’t hesitate. Even if it meant starting over from scratch, the chance to remain true to his duty was all he’d ever wanted. He breathed again.

Ashara Dayne’s daughter is born to a mother who weeps daily and never bothers to give the girl a name. The things Ashara witnessed in King’s Landing, and the things she suffered there… they broke her. The Lord of Starfall quietly had the babe cared for, and when Ashara threw herself off the cliff into the sea, he sent the child to live in High Hermitage with their cousins. Gerold Dayne was the first to take hold of the girl, and named her Irhys Dayne of High Hermitage. Records were quietly altered to reflect this, and no one ever spoke of it again.

Iris Amicitia was useless during the events that killed her father and most of the people she counted as family during her first life. The Astrals promised to make it up to her, and sent her to be with her brother again. Determined to be more help, Iris breathed again.

Domeric Bolton was a superb student when it came to managing a Lordship, and although he far preferred daggers to swords, he was a credit to his House in every way. The Heir to Dreadfort was watched carefully for the usual Bolton tendencies, but the youth honestly just seemed determined to master every challenge set before him. The odd white eyes he had inherited from his father had a brooding intensity to them, always focused on some far distant point in the future. There’s no love lost between Domeric and his bastard half-brother, and when Ramsay Snow seeks Domeric Bolton out, it’s the bastard who takes ill and dies shortly after.

Ignis Scientia felt the dawn break and knew that Noctis was dead. It hurt. Dawn should have been something to rejoice over, but he couldn’t see it. Just like Noctis, Ignis was never going to see the sun. It was fitting, somehow. What use was an advisor without a King? What use was an advisor when the only choices were to die or be killed? The light of the sun felt nothing like triumph. Ignis does not expect the Astrals to contact him when he finally dies. He does not expect the news that there is another world under threat of an Endless Night. He does not expect to be told that Noctis would fight for the Dawn once again, and that Ignis could be at his King’s side if he so chose. Ignis doesn’t hesitate. Noctis had the lamentable habit of making regrettable choices when Ignis wasn’t there to curb the worst of the chaos. So Ignis breathes again.

Jon Snow is carried North by a serious group of Northmen who still smile at him when they notice his attention turning to them. His uncle carries him most often, paranoid after loosing so much of his family so quickly. When not in Ned’s arms, Jon is with Jorah Mormont and Ethan Glover, who are as besotted with the babe as any new father might be. No one is surprised when Ethan offers to take the boy as his ward, given that he was Brandon’s squire and it will quiet many of the questions. Ned gently refuses, not wanting any of his blood to be too far from him if he can help it. Brandon’s bastard in Greywater Watch had his mother, and Ned was not so cruel as to take the boy away, but Jon he could keep. He would need to talk to Catelyn, but the boy wasn’t Ned’s, and that should be enough for any Lady to be content with.

Noctis Lucis Caelum fulfils his destiny as the True King, and lowers his head to rest. He finds himself before the Astrals once again, including the cleansed Infernian, and they tell him the Dawn has come to Eos again. Then they tell him that there is another world where the Darkness is gathering strength. A world that the Glacian has been watching over, a world that echoes Eos but lacks the strength and protection of the Lucian Kings. The Astrals want to send him there, to the world where a Prince had been Promised so long ago that men had forgotten why the True King would rise. Noctis is promised a chance to live again, is told that his life is not the coin that would buy the Dawn. Kill the Night King, and survive the Battle for the Dawn, and we will be with you always. Ready to make the most of it, Noctis breathes again.

Samwell Tarly is a pudgy child with only lackluster skill in swords. He is, at least, passable with a spear, more than decent with knives, and is unmatched with longbow or crossbow in hand. It’s almost as if the further from his opponent he is, the greater a threat to them Samwell becomes. They don’t talk about Samwell’s ability to destroy a room given a bit of coal and flour dust, or his odd insistence that horses are untrustworthy and that his father would be better served with riding birds. Lord Tarly tells his heir to stop reading stories from the lands beyond Westros and to focus on his duties at home. Samwell pouts and takes to running in circles around the outside of the Keep. It’s yet another sign of oddness from the boy, but it at least toughens the Tarly Heir up enough that there are no more comments about the softness of his stomach.

Prompto Argentum leapt at the chance to be with Noctis again. Sure it was a little disheartening that they’d have to fight the Darkness again first but they’d be able to survive this time! Even if Prompto had to make everything explode they were all going to survive this time! The Astrals had said that Noctis didn’t have to die to win this time, just kill the other guy. Killing the other guy was easy! Prompto had gotten really good at killing the other guys! So Prompto breathed again.

Jorah Mormont had a bit of an unusual reputation among the Lords of the North. When his father had been arranging his marriage to a lady from House Glover, Jorah had ridden to Deepwood Motte and spoken to all the Ladies being considered. What was discussed had never been revealed, but the Lady who became his wife was not the one Jeor Mormont and Galbart Glover would have picked. But they got their marriage alliance, and it’s not like the marriage had been refused, after all. After the Rebellion Ethan Glover moves to Bear Island and weds Jorah’s cousin Dacey Mormont, further binding the two houses.

Cor panics only a little when he hears that his father is planning to marry him off, and heads off to go speak to the ladies in question. Luck, and a small flare of Lucian magic, let’s him recognize Crowe when he sees her. The Marshall and the Kingsglaive mage quickly agree that their best bet is to set things up in their favour and hijack the betrothal before they end up married to strangers who don’t know about the duty they have to fulfill. Who won’t understand the need to fight back the Long Night until it’s too late. Crowe is quick to tell Cor that Nyx is back too, and is overjoyed to see Monica again. After the Rebellion is over, Nyx moves into Bear Island, laughs at Crowe, and then gets laughed at himself when Monica decides to make him her beard. Considering Crowe spends most of her nights with Monica, and Nyx spends most of his nights with Cor, the situation is neatly sorted.

The men from the Tower of Joy remain close. Although some remain closer than others. Willam Dustin and his wife Barbrey attend every celebration at Winterfell when Ned’s various children are born, gifting each with a horse. Martyn Cassel starts training the Stark children, ensuring that even gentle Sansa can defend herself, giving instruction of the girls readily over to Maege Mormont’s hands when the formidably Northern Lady visits, and then encouraging Sansa to learn healing from the Maester when she expresses her distaste for combat. Mark Ryswell often joins Ethan and Jorah in Bear Island to train when he isn’t busy with his horse herds. Theo Wull follows Jorah’s example and starts to build up the strength of the Mountain Clans. With the Starks and the Houses of the men who followed him to Dorne leading the way, the North gets serious about building up their strength again. Even in Greywater Watch there are changes being made. House Reed doesn’t want to be responsible for Moat Cailin again, but they start repairing it anyway with the understanding that a Stark would one day be taking responsibility for it.

There aren’t very many of them, but most of the reborn Lucians were in the party that went to Dorne with Ned Stark. Petra Fortis goes back to Barrowtown, his old dislike of the Kingsglaive eroded under the obvious favour of the Astrals in their being reborn here. Pelna Khara stays in Winterfell as the Prince’s personal guard, working on making sure the Prince’s new cousins weren’t ever the soft targets Princess Lunafreya ended up being. Dustin Ackers is delighted to see Monica again, and frequently travels from the Rills to Bear Island just for the pleasure of having an argument with her. Libertus Ostium splits his time between the Mountain Clans and Bear Island, having missed Crowe and Nyx. They all wonder if the King and Lord Amicitia will ever join them, but Nyx quietly lets them know what Cor told him. That Regis was absorbed by the Crystal when he died, and that Clarus would never leave his King behind. Noctis was the last of the Lucis Caelum line, and the only one not taken permanently by the Crystal. After the massacre of Elia Martell and her children at the Red Keep, Noctis is, once again, the only one of the Royal line that they have left.

Martyn Cassel goes white as summer snow when they find the direwolf mother dead with a stag’s antler in her throat. He cuffs Theon Greyjoy hard enough to send the boy sprawling in the dirt when mention is made of killing the pups. The gods are speaking to House Stark, and they’re all idiots with cheese in their ears it they can’t hear it. One pup for each of the children of House Stark, Martyn says with a smile as he hands the albino pup to Jon, it looks like the gods have made their choice. Things were never bad for Jon before then, but with Ghost at his side it’s as if the entire North has forgotten to call him Snow. When the King announces that he’s coming to Winterfell, the men from the Tower of Joy arrive first, bringing with them supplies and servants and comforts for the soft sensibilities of the Southroners. Catelyn is relieved beyond measure at the way the Northmen band together to ensure their Lord Paramount is well represented during the Royal visit. Ned is grateful for the unspoken message that his Bannerman will defend Jon even against the King, even if the idea of turning on Robert makes him deeply uncomfortable. But there are the direwolves to consider, and the sign from the Old Gods, and there are too many Lannisters on the way to Winterfell for Ned to be comfortable facing the Royal visit alone. So Ned doesn’t turn down the backup, and having Dacey Glover, Barbrey Dustin, and Gilliana Mormont there eases much of the strain on Catelyn. She’s still very much a Southron Lady at the most inconvenient times, and her worry over being thought barbarians by the party from King’s Landing is one of them.

Noctis has never had such a big family before, since the Crystal sapped much of the vitality from the Lucis Caelum line and kept the number of children for each generation small. So the wealth of cousins that his uncle gives him is something Noctis treasures. He can hear Ghost in his head the way he once heard the Astrals when he was trapped in the Crystal. The Astral’s voices come clearest in the Godswood these days, but Ghost’s voice is always clear to his mind as his own. So when Ghost hears Summer cry out in worry and growing fear, Noctis doesn’t even think about the low profile he’s supposed to be keeping. He chain warps fast and hard across Winterfell, from the Godswood to the Broken Tower without pausing and Bran is falling!

Bran is caught before he hits the ground, his terrified mind still hearing Ser Jaime’s voice repeating “the things I do for love” before his fingers are pulled away from the stones. But Jon caught him, Bran’s cousin who has always been like a second older brother. Jon who is breathing fast and hard like he’s been running for an hour, and Bran doesn’t even have to say anything before Jon’s looking up at the window where Ser Jaime is standing. The Lannister Whitecloak is the one who looks terrified now, where he was amused before, and Jon doesn’t stop to ask questions. Bran still in his arms, direwolves at his heels and howling for the rest of the pack, Jon runs back the way he came.

Noctis is lucky, and the only one who saw him warp is Cor, who is already gathering his armsmen together when Noctis rushes into the main courtyard with Bran in his arms calling at the top of his lungs for Lady Stark’s attention. Unlike the world where Bran was never saved from his fall, the Royal party is blatantly outnumbered by the Northmen. Catelyn Stark is not kind to threats to her children. She can’t do anything about the Queen, but the Kingslayer she has imprisoned in chains, and all the men in Lannister colours are stripped of their arms and confined to a barrack. The Baratheon forces are asked by a frigidly polite Lady Stark to stay within the wing where the Queen and her children are residing, and a fast rider is sent after the King’s hunting party with news of what happened.

With the Queen’s affair with her brother out in the open Robert stops overlooking the obvious. He sees the Lannister hair and Lannister eyes and Lannister faces of Cersei’s children and realizes that even if one of them was his by some impossible chance, there would always be reasonable doubt. Forget making Ned his Hand, they’re going to have to hold a huge fucking farce of a trial to clear away Cersei’s mess. Bran gets questioned by Robert, and offered a reward for uncovering Cersei’s treachery. Bran asks for Jon to be made a Stark in name, and Robert promises that it’ll be done as soon as he gets back to King’s Landing. Jaime can barely move for the weight of his chains, and is sent ahead to King’s Landing with half the Baratheon forces and a company of Dustin men, commanded by the sternly disapproving Lord Dustin himself. Cersei and her children are confined to the wheelhouse and Robert takes the rest of the Baratheon forces back South a handful of days later, along with a combination of Winterfell and Bear Island men. The only one who escapes mostly unharmed in the aftermath is Tyrion Lannister. Partially because it’s obvious that his sister hates him, and partially because of the various working women who can confirm that he was with them pretty much the entire time there wasn’t a feast obligating his attendance at Winterfell. House Reed swears to hold the Lannister men secure in Moat Cailin until the King sends for them, and they get moved in small groups to avoid any attempted breakouts after Robert leaves.

It’s a long trip South, and Noctis is glad that Monica, Crowe, and Libertus remained in Winterfell to take care of his Aunt and cousins. It doesn’t take long for Noctis to decide he hates the South. It’s hot and sticky and King’s Landing stinks the way the Scourge used to. Still, Robert needs Bran and Noctis there to testify at Cersei and Jaime’s trial, and Uncle Ned came along with them. So did Cor, Nyx, and Pelna. Petra went ahead with the white-cloaked oathbreaker who tried to kill Bran and will meet them in the Red Keep. The ravens traveled fast, and there are Lords gathering in King’s Landing for a trial that’s going to go down in history as the biggest scandal since Lyanna Stark’s abduction.

Tywin Lannister is furious in a way he hasn’t been since his father let a commonborn whore wear Tywin’s mother’s jewels. There is no way to salvage House Lannister’s reputation, all of Tywin’s efforts dissolving into sand with each testimony. Each chambermaid who timidly came forward with stories of soiled sheets on nights where the King was nowhere in the Red Keep. The rest of the Kingsguard having to admit that Jaime took more than his fair share of turns standing guard outside the Queen’s door. The stone faces of the Northmen as the Stark boy Jaime tried to kill spoke his piece. The way the bastard of Winterfell snarled at Jaime when he explained catching his cousin after seeing Jaime throw him from the Tower window. The way the entirety of the Seven Kingdoms are laughing at House Lannister. “So eager to have their blood on the Iron Throne that they think they’re Targaryens now.” Jaime and Cersei are convicted of treason, and beheaded. As the most offended party, Ned Stark is the one to swing the sword. Tywin Lannister is given custody of his distasteful grandchildren, and they end up in service to Casterly Rock. Myrcella and Tommen make the most of it, but Joffrey’s arrogance gets him “into an accident” fairly quickly. Tywin’s more put out over the need to forgive the debt the crown owes House Lannister in reparation for the insult done to House Baratheon.

With so many Houses in attendance and trying to introduce their daughters and sisters to the now unwedded King, Noctis is thankful for Southron preoccupations with politics. It means he can escape with Bran to the Godswood while Cor helps Uncle Ned with managing the King. Noctis winces a little when he hears Cor comment to Nyx that Robert was “almost” as bad as Mors. It’s there in the Godswood with his cousin and their direwolves that Noctis finds his friends again.

Bran likes Jon’s new friends. Samwell Tarly has lots of interesting stories to tell, and Domeric Bolton was another Northman who had been sent to witness the trial by his father and had come with the company of Lord Redfort. Bran knew the Boltons had scary stories told about them, even in the North, but Domeric was polite and was willing to answer all of Bran’s questions about being a knight. Gerold Dayne is the new Sword of Morning, and seems nice enough, and his little sister Irhys knew how to fight just like the Mormont girls did! They were all suitably impressed by Summer and Ghost, and asked Bran lots of questions about the North. They all really like Jon a lot too, and Bran isn’t surprised when even the Dornish siblings decide to come back to Winterfell with them when the Starks return North. (Jon’s a real Stark now! With the right name and everything! Bran did that for his cousin, made it happen! He’s so pleased with himself.)

Margaery Tyrell manages to win the crown from the rest of the court ladies vying for Robert’s attention, and the wedding is suitably impressive. Noctis spends his time lounging in increasingly ridiculous locations around the Red Keep with his cousin and friends in an attempt to ease some of the stress. News comes in from the Free Cities about the exiled Targaryens, but without a dedicated agent in place keeping tack of them is difficult. Noctis a little curious about his other Aunt and Uncle, but puts them from his mind. It’s unlikely at this point that he’s ever going to get a chance to meet them.

They go home to the North, all of them plus additional guests, and leave the posturing of the South behind them. Much to all their relief. Then Jeor Mormont sends words of the dead rising to walk again and hunting the living, of the increasing desperation of the Wildlings, and the glimpses they’ve caught of the White Walkers approaching the Wall. Then a letter is sent to Winterfell from Pentos, sealed with a three-headed dragon, promising that the Oracle and her brother would fight the War against the Long Night in the name of the True King. The Game of Thrones is taken to bloody extremes in the South, but in the North they are marshalling themselves for a war against the Night King.

Ned orders the Wildlings brought South of the Wall to keep the Others from adding their numbers to their Wright army. The Mountain Clans take the Free Folk in, gentling the shock of needing to adjust to the Laws the governed territory under Stark rule. Noctis goes into the crypts and returns with an ancient circlet, crafted from iron and carved weirwood, set with a single obsidian shard. It’s the Crown of Winter, and the Old Gods insist that the King in the North wear the sign of their favour. The North remembers, Ned murmurs, and takes the circlet into the Godswood. He stays there the whole night through, alone, and when he leaves he wears the Crown of Winter, with a fully-grown male direwolf padding at his side. Ah, I had wondered where the father was, Cor deadpanned, looks like he was waiting for you, my Lord.

The North is a Kingdom as large as all the other six combined, and they have never been ravaged as the Southern Kingdoms have been. Not by dragon fire, for their last King bent the knee without more than a token skirmish. Not by plague, thanks to the summer snow killing the diseases before they can travel and the isolated nature of their communities. Not by bandits, because there are no riches in the North but iron and fur. The North is the largest of the Seven Kingdoms, and yet it is the least often remembered. So the spears of Dorne go North, ship by ship, when Gerold Dayne sends word that the Long Night comes again, and the Others march on the Wall with an army of the dead. So the exiled Targaryen siblings take all their wealth and all their people and travel to the North to greet the King in the North, and thank him for his protection of their nephew. So the War for the Dawn has already begun by the time the South stops fighting one another long enough to realize that something is happening in the North.

It still takes Benjen Stark walking into a Grand Council meeting and slamming a Wright’s head down in the middle of the table before the South realizes how serious things are. The North _remembers_ , Benjen Stark snarls. This is why we hold the Wall. This is why there must always be a Stark in Winterfell! Send help, or don’t, but burn your dead and keep your pathetic game out of Northern affairs!

They win the War for the Dawn, of course, and the North knows no King but the King in the North, who’s name is Stark. The power of the Old Gods fills the North, mages call fire to hand, dragons fly above the Wall, and the night is filled with the howling of wolves.

=/=

**Author's Note:**

> This is the third fucking time I've tried to post this section and if it deletes itself again I'm going to kill someone for it.
> 
> darkriver101 asked:  
> If you're still doing GoT fix fics, maybe Final Fantasy 15?


End file.
